Local museums roll out exhibits on dinosaurs, the Charlotte Hornets and Grier Heights

Audrey Elsberry
·9 min read

Science and cultural museums in Charlotte have upcoming exhibits for the new arts and culture season that feature groups as different as historic city neighborhoods, the Charlotte Hornets and dinosaurs.

Officials with the Charlotte Museum of History, Discovery Place and Levine Museum of the New South discussed with The Charlotte Observer the exhibits they are looking forward to, new programming for visitors and shared challenges.

Conversations have been edited for length and clarity.

Levine Museum of the New South’s Grier Heights exhibit travels around Charlotte to tell the story of two African American men who built the city’s first planned Black neighborhood.
Levine Museum of the New South’s Grier Heights exhibit travels around Charlotte to tell the story of two African American men who built the city’s first planned Black neighborhood.

Levine Museum of the New South

Keri Peterson, senior director of history and exhibitions

What’s one of the programs or exhibits you’re most looking forward to in the new season?

So the program that we have is an exhibit at a gallery at 401 South Tryon St., “States of Incarceration.” It opens Sept. 23, and will be up through early 2024. “States of Incarceration” is a traveling exhibition started by a group called Humanity’s Action Lab, which is based at Rutgers University in Newark, New Jersey.

Over 800 people have participated in the exhibition content, and it’s put together with a combination of university students and community members all deeply affected by mass incarceration in the United States. The material developed across 18 different states, over 20 cities, including Charlotte and several other North Carolina locations, explores the history of an incarceration issue at the local level.

This will be the first time the Charlotte piece has ever been included with this exhibit that’s been traveling for a while.

The “States of Incarceration” traveling exhibit will come to the Levine Museum of the New South this fall. Charlotte’s exhibit will talk about the foster-care-to-prison pipeline.
The “States of Incarceration” traveling exhibit will come to the Levine Museum of the New South this fall. Charlotte’s exhibit will talk about the foster-care-to-prison pipeline.

Talk about one of the programs or exhibits coming up that fosters better understanding of diversity, equity and inclusion.

“States of Incarceration” certainly explores a lot of different issues of diversity, equity and inclusion. For Charlotte, we’ll be focusing on the foster-care-to-prison pipeline, how that impacts our community and how the history of foster care shows a disproportional impact on children of color and their families, specifically, Black families and Black children. And how it makes these families and children more vulnerable to policies that create mass incarceration.

Another exhibit that we will have this fall is our Grier Heights exhibit called “Community is Family.” It continues to travel around Charlotte. It goes over 150 years of Grier Heights history, from its founding by a formerly enslaved man, Sam Billings, who became a farmer, entrepreneur and real estate investor.

The Levine Museum of the New South’s exhibit on Grier Heights, which continues to travel around Charlotte, had a lot of input from community members.
The Levine Museum of the New South’s exhibit on Grier Heights, which continues to travel around Charlotte, had a lot of input from community members.

Then, another African American gentleman, Arthur Grier, brings into the area the first planned Black suburb. This community developed over time as one big family, and now the Grier Heights community is being threatened by the forces of gentrification. This exhibit had a lot of input from community members in Grier Heights.

Their stories are being told. And as we move it around the city, we’re hoping that different populations around Charlotte will get to really learn about the rich history of this community, and think about what it means to lose and preserve your community connections.

For people who are regular visitors, what’s a new experience coming up that they can look forward to?

We’ve just had the one gallery right now open to the public. We’re looking forward to our new building in the summer of 2025, (where) we are looking to move into a new facility and can offer more than one experience at a time.

What’s the biggest challenge you are facing now?

Having a temporary space. It is a challenge to present everything that we want to in this small space, and to continue to engage our visitors and keep the Levine mission at the forefront. But it’s keeping us all on our toes, bringing quality experiences to that space. And I think that we’re successfully doing that.

Karen Sutton, left, the Levine’s director of community engagement, with members of the community at the opening reception for the museum’s exhibit on Grier Heights.
Karen Sutton, left, the Levine’s director of community engagement, with members of the community at the opening reception for the museum’s exhibit on Grier Heights.

Discovery Place

Heather Norton, chief science officer

What’s one of the programs or exhibits you’re most looking forward to in the new season and why?

We’ve got an exciting slate of exhibitions coming. We just announced the extension of “Marvel: Universe of Super Heroes,” which is one of the first blockbusters we’ve brought to Charlotte in a number of years. It’s only touring limited cities around the U.S., so we’re excited that it’s going to be with us, due to popular demand, until Jan. 1.

Avengers and other Marvel superheroes assemble at new museum exhibit in Charlotte

After that, we have secured an exhibition called “Dogs! A Science Tale,” which is all about the science of our favorite companions. People love their pets and especially dogs. Having an exhibition that really celebrates why dogs are unique, and how dog’s anatomy and bodies work, we think will be really engaging for visitors of all ages. (“Dogs! A Science Tale” will run from Feb. 3, 2024, to May 5, 2024.)

Guests can dig up replica fossils and analyze bones and DNA patterns when “Dogs! A Science Tail” opens at Discovery Place Science in uptown in February 2024.
Guests can dig up replica fossils and analyze bones and DNA patterns when “Dogs! A Science Tail” opens at Discovery Place Science in uptown in February 2024.

We’re really excited to bring “Ultimate Dinosaurs: Meet a New Breed of Beasts.” Dinosaurs are the number one thing that people ask us about at Discovery Place. (This exhibit will run June 21 to Sept. 8, 2024.)

Giganotosuarus will be on exhibition at Discovery Place Science next summer, as part of “Ultimate Dinosaurs.”
Giganotosuarus will be on exhibition at Discovery Place Science next summer, as part of “Ultimate Dinosaurs.”

Talk about one of the programs or exhibits coming up that fosters better understanding of diversity, equity and inclusion.

We’ve been incorporating DEI work across all of what we do. We’ve been really intentional about trying to bring out stories of people of all backgrounds when we’re talking about science, year-round. The stories of people of all backgrounds and experiences are going to be highlighted and woven through everything we do, versus just maybe being pinpointed at certain times of the year. So people really see themselves hopefully when they come to Discovery Place in the activities and programs that they do.

Science on the Rocks programming is an opportunity for adults to enjoy learning as much as the rest of the family, said Heather Norton, chief science officer at Discovery Place.
Science on the Rocks programming is an opportunity for adults to enjoy learning as much as the rest of the family, said Heather Norton, chief science officer at Discovery Place.

For people who are regular visitors, what’s a new experience coming up they can look forward to?

On Oct. 21 we’re hosting our first “Macabre Masquerade” for ages 21 and up. It’s an adult Halloween party. We’re gonna be featuring a dark circus vibe. And we’re really excited about bringing back “Science on the Rocks,” our monthly 21-and-up event that’s been selling out since we brought it back (last year).

Also, we’ve been working to build out our programming calendar for our labs. We have four labs in Discovery Place Science that allow us to have deeper dives or experiences off the floor in these lab environments. On our website, we’ve been starting to share the different events and activities that will be highlighted in the lab spaces.

Discovery Place Huntersville on Halloween is going to be hosting their “Ghoul-y Gala,” which is a fun, safe way to trick-or-treat with the museum and have different hands-on experiences. Discovery Place Nature will be hosting Boo Bash, Oct. 29.

What’s the biggest challenge you are facing now?

As we continue to build back and reconnect with new audiences, because we had a lot of people relocate to Charlotte during the pandemic, we also want to reconnect with our previous audiences. I think the challenge to us is how we continue to push ourselves to think differently, to really make sure that we’re meeting our community and our audiences where they’re at. Because we all learn differently and we want different things coming out of the pandemic.

Anything else to add about the new season?

We’re partnered with (movie and music show) Mesmerica to bring the next iteration of their movie content, which is Beautifica, featuring music from James Hood with beautiful imagery that creates this kind of whole body experience. And that’s with us now until potentially mid-October.

(One last note: Another upcoming show is all about the moon. “A New Moon Rises” features over 50 photographs of the lunar surface taken by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera. It’s expected to start Sept. 29.)

“A New Moon Rises,” featuring over 50 photographs of the lunar surface taken by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera, opens at Discovery Place Science in late September. Installation at the Huntsville Museum of Art, Alabama.
“A New Moon Rises,” featuring over 50 photographs of the lunar surface taken by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera, opens at Discovery Place Science in late September. Installation at the Huntsville Museum of Art, Alabama.

Charlotte Museum of History

Terri White, president and CEO

What’s one of the programs or exhibits you’re most looking forward to in the new season?

I’m excited about the Charlotte Hornets anniversary exhibit (Hive at 35) that’ll be opening in October. This is the first time that the Hornets have done a formal museum exhibition about their history.

So they’ve learned a little bit about what our process is as a museum, and we’ve learned the flashy world of professional sports. But we’re excited to show, once again to our community, that history isn’t just the boring thing that you remember from high school history class. We think that this will be a good example of that.

The Charlotte Hornets 35th anniversary exhibit, “Hive at 35,” is the only exhibit of its kind at the Charlotte Museum of History.
The Charlotte Hornets 35th anniversary exhibit, “Hive at 35,” is the only exhibit of its kind at the Charlotte Museum of History.

And we will spend the fall, winter and spring diligently restoring the Siloam School (a segregation-era schoolhouse for Charlotte’s Black children) so that it’s hopefully open and ready for public engagement next summer. The school is being moved from its original foundation to our property here. We have to painstakingly restore it to what it would’ve looked like in 1924. I’m looking forward to that — seeing it go from this dilapidated looking building into a brand new school house again.

Talk about one of the programs or exhibits coming up that fosters better understanding of diversity, equity and inclusion.

We always do programs for Hispanic Latinx (heritage) month and Indigenous Peoples Month. We have a pretty decent relationship with the Catawba Nation and we like to give them their voice. Fiestas Patrias is a separate community organization, and we partner with them to host Independence Day celebrations and other cultural events for all of the different Latin American communities that are represented here in Charlotte.

For people who are regular visitors, what’s a new experience coming up that they can look forward to?

The Hornets exhibit. We haven’t done a sports exhibit in about a decade, and certainly nothing to this level. On a smaller scale, we are revamping our gift shop and trying to offer products and items that not only were locally made but have a long history in this region. We’re going to sell Cheerwine in our gift shop. Also, there will be a mini display about items made and originated in the Carolinas.

What’s the biggest challenge you are facing now?

Our biggest challenge, as most non-profits will say, is funding. There are a lot of assumptions that we must be rich, surely we get money from the city and county and the state. We don’t get any of that. Every single thing we do here at Charlotte Museum of History is done through the generosity of others — be that individuals, foundations or corporations. Secondary to that is the fact that we are in East Charlotte, and a lot of people still think being 10 minutes away from uptown that you might as well be in the boonies.

Once they see our space, the programming and exhibits that we do, they’re hooked and they will love it. But it’s getting over that initial hurdle of, ‘its not as far away as you think it is.’

Anything else to add about the new season?

I feel like people may be slightly disappointed, like, ‘Oh, there’s not really a whole lot going on there.’ But a large part of that is because 2024 is a huge year for us because the (Hezekiah Alexander House) will turn 250 years old. So a lot of this relatively calm time is gearing up for a 2024 as we celebrate Mecklenburg County’s oldest house turning 250.

The Hezekiah Alexander House, built around 1774, is the oldest home in Mecklenburg County. It will be 250 years old in 2024.
The Hezekiah Alexander House, built around 1774, is the oldest home in Mecklenburg County. It will be 250 years old in 2024.

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